Buster Posey to retire from MLB

0


[ad_1]

The heart and soul of the San Francisco Giants is ready for a career. Catcher Buster Posey reportedly announce retirement Thursday, ending a fantastic 12-year streak with the franchise, according to The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly.

Posey, 34, returned for the 2021 MLB season after withdrawal in 2020. He had a resurgence on the plate, hitting .304 / .390 / .499, with 18 home runs, over 454 home plate appearances. This performance saw Posey make the All-Star National League squad for the first time since 2018.

In his final season, Posey was instrumental in the Giants’ surprising run to the playoffs. After posting a 0.483 winning percentage without Posey in 2020, the team climbed to a 0.660 winning percentage in 2021, toppling the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the National League West. However, the Giants couldn’t pass the Dodgers in the playoffs, losing to their rivals in five games in the National League Divisional Series.

Posey has a club option for the 2022 season worth $ 22 million. Considering his production on the pitch and what he means to the Giants, there was a good chance the team would have chosen that option and used Posey for at least a year.

Buster Posey heads to the Baseball Hall of Fame

If that’s really the case, Posey is stepping away from the game as one of the greatest catchers of all time. He has a career line of .302 / .372 / .460 over 12 seasons in the majors. Its production came at a time when superstar receivers were extremely rare. Since Posey’s rookie season in 2009, the receiver position has only reached .242 / .311 / .389.

Posey was excellent from the start, winning the Rookie of the Year award in his first full season in the majors. He has been voted to the All-Star Team seven times, won one batting title, one gold glove, four silver hitters and was named the National League MVP in 2012.

Posey also won three World Series rings with the Giants, in 2010, 2012 and 2014. He was one of nine players to make the squad for those three championships and outlived them all.

During this time, Posey came to define the current era of Giants baseball. His best seasons came during the team’s dynasty, and he remained a fantastic player towards the end of his career. Injuries became a problem as he got older, although a year after the game saw Posey post another year of superstar caliber before leaving the game for good.

The impending retirement would see Posey inducted into the Hall of Fame after the 2027 MLB season. The Hall of Fame has been notoriously difficult for receivers, but the landscape is changing. The great Ted Simmons of the St. Louis Cardinals was inducted by one of the Hall of Fame-era committees of baseball. The great Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins will be eligible in 2024 and has a strong case for induction.

Per bWAR, Posey is the 14th best seeker of all time. The only players ahead of him on this list who are not currently in the Hall of Fame are Mauer, Thurman Munson and Gene Tenace. Seven Seekers with bWAR totals lower than Posey are already in the Hall of Fame.

Considering his behind-the-plate production – especially around the time Posey played – and his many awards and playoff excellence, Posey is worthy of the Baseball Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible.

Buster Posey reportedly hung up his crampons. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)


[ad_2]

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.